Despite there being many readily available and relatively inexpensive buoyancy aids, accidental death by drowning remains commonplace.
Most buoyancy aids are worn about the chest region of a wearer and most are bulky and very visible.
For some water sport activities such as surfing, kayaking, sailboarding and the like, participants are required to have a high degree of activity and arm freedom in order to participate freely in their activity and bulky or restrictive buoyancy devices are not favoured for this reason.
Another problem in terms of encouraging people to be more water safety conscious which affects young people in particular is the issue of image.
It is very rare to see a board rider wearing a buoyancy device even in treacherous conditions with the obvious conclusion from this that vanity issues are involved.
The more buoyancy devices can be disguised, the more likely they are to be accepted.
There have been numerous proposals for garment-type floatation devices and some proposals for add-on floatation devices worn in association with clothing.
Examples of purpose-built garment-type floatation devices are described in United Kingdom patent no. 2,183,554, U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,933, United Kingdom patent no. 316454 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,428,151.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,411 describes a fashionable lifesaving device which, it is said, utilizes the look of casual clothing such as shorts, pants, bathing suits or shirts to disguise inbuilt inflatable chambers.
International patent application no. PCT/AU98/00092 proposes an upper body supporting bladder which can be unobtrusively inserted under a garment such as a wetsuit to provide floatation support in an emergency situation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a buoyancy device in the form of a common garment with a view to improved water safety.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a buoyancy device which is of fashionable appearance and insofar as is practicable, disguises the fact that it is a buoyancy device.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.